New Edition

Beyonce’s new music video Love On Top debuted a few days ago, and before the full version even hit the ‘net, peeps were saying it appeared similar to the video for New Edition’s 1988 single If It Isn’t Love. As a big NE fan who actually remembers their vid when it first came out (showing my age again), I too thought exactly the same thing, due to the dance studio location, formation of dancers with mics and old school choreography.

Before his frequent run-ins with the law and his tumultuous marriage to Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown was best known for being one of the most exciting entertainers in the music business. He was a member of popular r&b boyband New Edition from 1978-1985, but it wasn’t until his second solo album, Don’t Be Cruel (1988), that he really proved himself as a force to be reckoned with.

This Valentines I Miss The Old School has teamed up with leading club promoter Queen of Soul to offer music lovers the chance to tickets to the Ultimate 90′s R&B concert at London’s premiere venue – the indigO2 at the 02.

Promising a night of classic R&B from a time when music really mattered, the sizzling-hot show will feature smooth vocal group Silk as the headline act in their first UK concert in over a decade.

The group will be performing all their hits, including chart-topper ‘Freak Me’, and will be joined by Kut Klose and Pamela Long, former lead singer of platinum-selling girl group Total.

We have TWO pairs of tickets for the concert, taking place on February 16, to give away. For a chance to win a pair, simply answer the following question:

I can’t believe that Toni Braxton has been in the music industry now for nearly 20 years! My, how time flies. I still remember her first single Breathe Again, and the short do she sported in the video. Short hair was to become her signature look in her early career and it suited her. Signed to LaFace Records in 1993, Toni certainly benefited from having legendary award-winning songwriting/music-making duo Babyface and L.A Reid executive producing her debut album. And gems featured on the set included aforementioned Breathe Again, Another Sad Love Song and How Many Ways.

When I was growing up New Edition was one of my favourite groups in the whole wide world. And nearly three decades since they burst onto the scene in 1983, I am still a huge fan of the group and all the splinter projects it has spawned.

Founding member Michael Bivins has managed to keep himself relevant in front of, and behind the camera, as an artist, executive, cultivator of talent and trendsetter. And his bench marks have been frequently imitated but rarely credited in my humble opinion.

People give props to the likes of Diddy, which is much deserved. But before Diddy and Bad Boy, there was a Michael Bivins and a label called Biv 10 paving the way. And as well as being a member of New Edition since he was about 10 years-old, and a member of hit 90s act Bell Biv Devoe (Poison, Do Me, When Will I See You Smile Again), his now defunct label Biv 10 was responsible for launching platinum acts such as Boys II Men, ABC (Another Bad Creation) and 702 back in the early 90s.

Sprite recently unveiled their new advert featuring emcee of the moment Drake (below). I like the concept of the commercial and feel what the makers were trying to convey really worked.

A celebrity in a soft drink ad is now nothing to blink twice at, but although technology has progressed quite a bit in recent times, some of the best soft drink endorsement clips came out in the 80s and 90s.